Chapter Text
Kirishima could hardly relax. He was feeling better now that he and his classmates had done that room contest, but he still felt anxiety and guilt in the pit of his stomach. He almost felt sick from it.
He had to talk to Bakugou. He knew the blonde hadn't wanted to participate in the room contest, and likely wanted to be left alone, but Kirishima felt so guilty. He'd been stuck in that damn classroom while his best friend got kidnapped by the League of Villians. Kirishima was just so glad that Bakugou was even alive. Even with Bakugou's incredible strength and battle knowledge, the league could've easily killed him since they outnumbered him greatly.
While he was thinking, he hadn't even realized that his feet had been carrying him towards Bakugou's dorm room, so now, he stood in front of the door, completely unsure of what to do next. He didn't want to bother Bakugou, especially with all he'd just been through.
He stood there for a good few minutes, hand occasionally raising to touch the door. When he finally built up the courage, he knocked.
No answer.
He drew in a deep breath and knocked again. He heard a sudden jolt from inside the room, accompanied by a gasp. It took a few seconds but eventually, Bakugou answered.
He wasn't looking at Kirishima. His eyes were blown wide and his hands shook ever so slightly.
"What're you doing here, shitty hair?" Kirishima wrung his hands together anxiously. Why had he even come here?
"I just... Wanted to talk." Kirishima explained, hoping Bakugou wouldn't just shut the door on him.
"About what?"
"I don't know, I just wanted to talk."
After a long few seconds of silence that felt like hours to Kirishima, the scowling blonde nodded.
"Yeah, alright, come in." Bakugou stepped to the side, no longer blocking the door, and Kirishima walked in, shutting the door gently behind him. Bakugou, still looking exhausted, went and sat on his bed.
"So, what's up?" Bakugou asked. Kirishima sighed, leaning against the door.
"Dude I'm... I'm sorry for not being able to save you back there."
Bakugou shrugged. "Don't put it on yourself. It was my fault for getting caught in the first place. I should've been able to fight off that shitty marble guy."
"I-I wanted to come out and save you but Vlad King had us trapped in the classroom. I practically begged him to let me come out and help. If, if I'd just been able to convince him then maybe you wouldn't have been kidnapped at all." Kirishima felt his heart beating a mile a minute in his chest, thumping against his ribcage.
"Like I said, don't say that sort of stupid stuff. It's not your fault, Kiri." Bakugou wasn't the best with words or comfort but it felt nice to see Bakugou trying. With most people, Bakugou would've just told them to fuck off and suck it up, and that it wasn't his job to deal with this. Kirishima knew he was special to Bakugou in some way, whatever that way might be. He remembered his friends telling him that it had to be him to call out to Bakugo when saving him because he wouldn't listen to anyone else. He felt warm in a comforting sort of way.
"Anyways, I'm fucking tired and you interrupted my sleep. Uh... You can stay. If you want to. Whatever." Kirishima knew that was Bakugou's way of asking him to stay, so Kirishima did. He moved to sit on the edge of Bakugou's bed as the blonde fell back asleep behind him.
Kirishima couldn't sleep. His mind was still racing and he had a million things left to say, but things that would have to wait until later. Right know, Bakugou needed to sleep, not deal with Kirishima's irrational problems.
Hours passed and Kirishima still couldn't sleep, but he was relaxing slightly. Being here with Bakugo and knowing he was safe definitely helped.
He looked over his shoulder, expecting to see a relaxed Bakugou but was instead greeted with tense shoulders and furrowed eyebrows. Bakugou was definitely still asleep, so why did he look like that? Kirishima waited, not taking his eyes of the sleeping boy. Bakugou's fingers twitched against the bed sheets and he only seemed to be getting tenser.
Then all of a sudden, there were small explosions coming from Bakugou's palms, shooting straight at the bed. The blonde sat up with wide eyes, gasping and looking around wildly like he didn't know where he was. Kirishima immediately turned so his body was facing Bakugou. When the blonde met Kirishima's eyes, he immediately collapsed into him, arms wrapping tight around him as he trembled.
Kirishima didn't know what was going on, but Bakugou hadn't said anything yet, so neither did Kirishima. He felt wet tears soak through his shirt, so he lifted his arms and hugged Bakugou back, rubbing circles into his friends back with his thumb.
"Don't go anywhere." Bakugo almost pleaded, voice quiet and shaking. Kirishima had never heard him like that before. So... Vulnerable.
"Don't worry, Kats, I'm right here." After a few minutes, Bakugou had stopped shaking, grip slowly loosening on Kirishima.
"Don't you dare fucking tell anyone about this," Bakugo said, looking frustrated and embarrassed.
Kirishima smiled softly. "Don't worry, I won't."
"Don't leave," Bakugou said again, pulling away from Kirishima and laying down. "Stay here."
So Kirishima did. He fell asleep beside his friend, a strangely warm feeling in his stomach. He felt... Happy.
Morning came abruptly as a 5 am alarm blared in his ears. Kirishima jolted awake, groaning and rubbing his eyes. Wasn't it the weekend?
Finally opening his eyes, he realized he wasn't in his room. After a few seconds of confused and sleepy blinking, he remembered all that had happened last night. His face felt warm again.
But speaking of which, if he was in Bakugo's room, where was Bakugo? Kirishima forced himself to sit up, looking around the room. No sign of Bakugo, but be heard shuffling coming from the bathroom.
"Kats?" Kirishima called out. He got a grumble from the bathroom in response.
"Put your hiking clothes on," Bakugo instructed. Kirishima furrowed his brows in confusion.
"My hiking clothes?"
"Yeah, go back to your room and put some on, idiot. Then come back here."
So Bakugou wanted to go hiking with him again. Kirishima knew what was something Bakugou enjoyed doing and often liked to bring Kirishima along.
"Alright, Bakubro, I'll be right back." Kirishima laughed at his own clever nickname and left the room.
The whole way back, Kirishima couldn't stop thinking about last night. The way Bakugo had wrapped his arms around him for comfort, had trusted him enough to show him that vulnerable side of himself, to ask him to stay.
Kirishima didn't understand why it was making him feel so happy. Of course, Bakugo trusted him. They were best friends after all.
Best friends.
That word felt weird now and he didn't know why. Bakugo was his best friend, so there was no reason to feel weird about that label.
Kirishima sighed as he reached his dorm, entering and changing into a red t-shirt, gray shorts, red crocs, and his favorite black headband. He even put some more product in his hair to stop it from being messy. He then headed back to Bakugo's room.
He knocked and was immediately answered by Bakugo, wearing similar attire to him. A black t-shirt with a skull on it in classic Bakugo style, brown shorts, and black sneakers.
"Right. You ready, shark boy?"
Kirishima nodded, smiling. "Ready."
This was something they usually did every Saturday. Kirishima appreciated it. It was fun getting to spend time with Bakugo like this.
This felt special, too. This was Bakugo's hobby, one he otherwise would've been doing by himself, but now that Bakugo and Kirishima were such good friends, they went together.
The sun was just slightly peeking over the hill they were climbing, basking everything in a pale orange glow. Kirishima looked over at Bakugo and felt a warmth in his cheeks and a fluttery feeling in his stomach.
He looks so pretty. Kirishima thought absently and then caught himself. Pretty? He thought Bakugo was... Pretty? He'd never thought something like that before. He shook the thought away and continued up the hill.
"Hey, idiot, you spacing out over there?" Kirishima looked up at Bakugo, eyes wide.
He laughed softly. "Oh yeah, sorry. Just... Thinking."
Bakugo shrugged, giving no verbal response.
They continued up the hill and finally reached the top. The view from up here was amazing. The top of the hill was the only place clear from trees and it looked out over a big rushing river at the bottom. Kirishima was the first to sit on the ledge, quickly joined by Bakugo.
"I didn't think you'd like something like sunrises, Mr, I hate everything." Kirishima joked.
Bakugo laughed. "Well, not everything." The blonde said thoughtfully.
The two sat close together quietly, watching the sun rise higher and higher in the sky until the sky became its usual shade of blue.
"Guess we better head back, huh?" Kirishima suggested.
Bakugo nodded in agreement. "My fucking legs are numb from sitting for so long."
And so they went back, both with a newfound warmth.